Watches of the Year 2017

It is that time again: QP’s editors and contributors look back on a year of watches to pick their favourites from 2017

By Chris Hall

We have arrived, somewhat abruptly it seems to us, at the end of 2017. Hundreds of new watches have passed before our eyes; some never to be thought of again, others to linger long in our hearts. It has not necessarily been a superlative year for the watch industry – tentatively, a recovery is on the way – but we have seen an array of new watches spanning a remarkable diversity of styles. Some of them even border on the affordable, although let’s not kid ourselves too much.

Having asked our family of contributing writers and editors for their favourites, the results are interesting. Complications do not feature heavily on our list: the overriding theme is clarity of design and purpose. There is whimsy and decoration aplenty, but it seems this year’s crop of tourbillons, perpetual calendars and minute repeaters left us cold. Big brands largely won out over small players, although a couple of independent watchmakers did make an appearance. Feel free to disagree with us on Twitter and Facebook!

Alex Doak

S.U.F. Vetehinen

Investing in an indie watch brand, with all the exclusivity and pub chat that it brings, tends to cost a pretty penny. The over-wrought desire to be “not for everyone” often means aesthetics fall short in the name of academic wackiness. Not so with Helsinki’s Stepan Sarpaneva. Here’s a guy who has unashamedly made “not for everyone” his hashtag, while paying all his attention to looks rather than mechanics (despite a complications CV from Claret to Parmigiani) then having the decency to not charge that pretty penny.

With his eponymous brand, yes, but especially his entry-point SUF brand – informed deeply by the gritty, stoic “sisu” of his people. The latest release – a diving watch named after Finland’s legendary WWII submarine, in turn named after a merman water spirit – feels fresh and contemporary in a year of slavish retro reissues, while simultaneously feeling like its been here all along. Driven by Eterna’s solid Calibre 39 (the first Swiss brand to recruit watchmakers from Finland, back in the Sixties), the Vetehinen is not only a great-value package at €4,650; it gives hope that the indie scene could soon be as viable a marketplace in the sub-£10,000 sector as all of the usual suspects.

Laura McCreddie-Doak

Chanel Premiere Camelia Skeleton

Naming my watch of the year was a really difficult thing to do – see my runners up, below. Out of two excellent watches from Chanel, among many others, it was the Première Camélia Skeleton that won my heart. It is powered by Chanel’s Calibre 2, which has bridges shaped to look like a camellia; has a wonderful mix of the muscular – the movement is DLC coated – and the romantic – it’s a watch powered by a flower with diamonds on it – and is quite simply the most swoon-inducing watch I’ve had on my wrist all year.

Runners up:

Dior’s Grand Soir Botanics

Simply eight of the most incredible examples of high-jewellery watchmaking I’d ever seen

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Frosted Gold

This made me actually want to own an Audemars Piguet – can’t say more than that, really.

Chanel’s J12 Mademoiselle.

For a healthy dose of humour you couldn’t beat Chanel’s J12 Mademoiselle, with its cartoon Coco.

Timothy Barber, Telegraph Watch Editor

Bulgari Octo Finissimo Automatic

I can’t think of a recent year when a single watch has stood out so far ahead of the field. But in a sea of retro-rehashes and uninspired line extensions, the Bulgari Octo Finissimo Automatic is – and it really is – an instant classic. It may be the thinnest automatic wristwatch in the world right now; but the remarkable thing is that that is beside the point. The mechanism merely services the design, which is pure, modern, unusual, highly satisfying and in my opinion unimprovable. I do struggle to reconcile this discreet slither of grey titanium with the Roman opulence of Bulgari’s closely-guarded “DNA”, but who cares?

Sarah Jordan

Patek Philippe Reference 7130G

It is often harder than you might think to find a luxury women’s watch that balances horological expertise, beautiful design and just the right amount of diamond adornment. Fortunately, the Patek Philippe Reference 7130G Ladies’ World Time in peacock blue does just that. The watch has a guilloché centre, a bi-coloured centre ring with 24-hour markers and a sunburst-effect outer ring with 24 international cities. Its white gold case is ideal at 36mm, with a sparkling but not ostentatious diamond-set bezel. Inside it is powered by the automatic calibre 240 HU – also used in men’s World Timers – with a 48-hour power reserve.

Runners Up

Omega Speedmaster 38mm Co-Axial Chronometer Chronograph

Hermès Nantucket Jeté de diamants

In-keeping with the theme of serious complications for women, the Omega Speedmaster 38mm Co-Axial Chronometer Chronograph was a welcome surprise this year. For something a little more party-ready, the Hermès Nantucket Jeté de diamants is a lesson in style and colour.

Caitlin McDonald

Dior Grand Soir Botanic

Picking a watch of 2017 is no mean feat, but after the year we’ve had (the inauguration was in January, if anyone’s counting) I went for the watch that brought me the most joy this year. Floral dials are sometimes not my bag, so the Dior Grand Soir Botanic took me by surprise in Basel. In the metal it is exquisitely crafted, resembling an otherworldly terrarium in miniature. Yes, it’s quartz, but with the resulting depths across the dial, that can be forgiven.

Love the slightly psychedelic feel; the designers were given free rein to imagine new flora, and the results are ever so slightly trippy. There are 8 one-off pieces in all, but number five is my favourite, with sapphires, rubies, tourmalines and graphic, baguette-cut diamonds.

Runner up:

Omega Railmaster

Bulgari Octo Finissimo Automatic

If I was ever tasked with writing a peppy PowerPoint summing up the trials and tribulations of the luxury watch industry in 2017 (surely it’s only a matter of time guys?) I’d definitely use the tagline ‘excellence through adversity’ liberally. For me no watch has embodied this mix of innovation and restraint better than the Bulgari Octo Finissimo Automatic. The world’s (second) thinnest production auto, in an idiosyncratic case. Not my usual thing, but every time I put it on I get that sense of barely-there wonderment, without the too-delicate anxiety that typically goes with ultra thin watches. A bravura effort.

Josh Sims

Omega Railmaster

Hands down my choice would be the Omega Railmaster, not least because I still hanker after boyish dreams of being a steam engine driver. It’s the Railmaster’s simplicity that is so appealing. It’s easy to do a simple watch, of course. That’s what passes for ‘classic’. It’s not so easy to do that and retain some personality. Yeah, yeah, it has that Co-Axial Master Chronometer movement. Like the original watch it’s anti-magnetic. But it’s the styling that sells it: the slightly tapered crown, the steel grey dial (on one of the variants). And bravo to Omega for using a closed case-back. Engine drivers don’t have time to mess around looking at tiny cogs, you know…

James Buttery, Print Editor

Tudor Heritage Black Bay Chronograph

This one caught me by surprise at Basel and has had my attention ever since. The Tudor Heritage Black Bay Chronograph is, as far as I’m concerned one of the most compelling watches in recent memory, offering a rugged, evocative design that maintains its integrity despite having been forced through the ‘vintage-inspired’ filter, and a manufacture movement (even if that’s not a Tudor manufacture movement, but a proven and upgraded Breitling B01) all for £3,610 on a steel bracelet.

Runners up:

Romain Gauthier Insight Micro Rotor

From its micro rotor mounted between jewelled bearings and sandwiched between two bridges to the off-centre peak of its domed sapphire crystal, the Insight illustrates the innovative solutions of one of the most imaginative engineers working in the field of horology. And that’s before you get to the sublime finishing.

Finally it happened: I liked a smartwatch, those soulless pieces of disposable tech I’ve rallied against for so long. So what makes the Horizon any different aside from that cool convex case? It is designed with a specific purpose in mind, to make your jet-setting more pleasurable.

Chris Hall, Digital Editor

A. Lange & Sohne 1815 Flyback Chronograph

The A. Lange and Sohne 1815 chrono isn’t a wholly new watch, but was given a black dial for the first time in 2017, a step which elevated it from excellent to faultless. It was already one of the best-made hand-wound chronographs in the world; now, with a black lacquered dial it is the best looking, too. Purists will appreciate that it fills a void left by the equivalent now-discontinued Patek Philippe 5170 chronograph, at a far lower price, as well as adding a flyback function. On top of all this, it is a perfect size at 39.5mm and a total delight to operate.

Runners-up:

Laurent Ferrier’s Montre Ecole

Gorgeous to look at from any angle, decorated to perfection and simple enough to wear everywhere.